System of producing electrical sparks for igniting the charges of explosive-engines.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 19.03.

G. W. EUKER.- SYSTEM 015 PRODUCING ELECTRICAL SPARKS I'OR IGNITING THE CHARGES 0P EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 9,1902.

F0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAM EUKER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN O. MEYER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SYSTEM OF PRODUCING ELECTRICAL SPARKS FOR IGNITING THE CHARGES F EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,176, dated March 3, 1903. Application filed July 9,1902. Serial No. 114.850. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIAM EU- KER, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Producing Electrical Sparks for Igniting the Charges of Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, primarily, to a sparkro ing apparatus for explosive-engines, in which both a battery and dynamo are employed to furnish the necessary current, and the same will be hereinafter described in this particular relation; but it will be appreciated when the invention is understood that the same may be advantageously employed in many other situations.

The invention aims to avoid the use of a sparking coil in an apparatus of the character described, to replenish or restore the battery which furnishes the current for forming the igniting-spark upon starting the engine and before the same attains its normal speed from the dynamo, and to increase the generation of current commensurate with the quantity required for producing the ignitingsparks when the sparking mechanism is associated with a plurality of cylinders, each having independent sparking electrodes and in which the igniting-sparks are produced in two or more cylinders synchronously.

To this end the invention comprises the combination and arrangement of parts and the details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the invention associated with an engine having asingle cylinder provided with a single set of sparking electrodes or make-and-break mechanism. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the invention employed with a plurality of sets of sparking electrodes or make-and-break mechanisms, such as would be employed in a multiple-cylinder engine.

My present invention includes, essentially, a single main circuit in which a dynamo and 50 battery are located, connected up in reverse order, and in which make-and-break mechanisms for interrupting the circuit to produce the igniting-spark are also'located, the dynamo being preferably compound wound.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings a compound wound dynamo is shown at a, to the positive brush of which one terminal of the external line or wire I) is connected, the other terminal thereof being connected to one terminal of the series winding of the dynamo, the other terminal of said series winding being connected to the negative brush. In this line b a switch d, make-andbreak device 6, and storage battery 0 are 10- cated,the latter being, as shown, connected up in reverse order to the dynamo. In this form of the invention the make-and-break device or mechanism is comprised of two electrodes, between which the igniting-spark is formed upon said members being pressed into contact and then separated.

In the embodiment of theinvention shown in Fig. 2 the same is illustrated as associated with a multiple cylinder-engine, each cylinder having independent make -and-break mechanism 6 associated with the same, comprising a fixed and movable member. In this form of the invention the main circuit or line b is provided with a plurality of branches 1), corresponding in number to the make-andbreak mechanisms 6', one of the latter being located'in each of said branches. The battery cis charged previously to connecting the same in the circuit, and when the engine is started and the switch 61 closed a current will flow from the positive pole of the battery through the positive brush of the dynamo, through the series windings thereof, and through the line b and make-and-break device back to the 9o battery as soon as contact is made between the members of said make-and-break device, and upon the separation thereof the current is interrupted and a voluminous spark formed between the electrodes, the series windingof the dynamo acting as the sparking coil. The current from the battery will thus serve to produce sparking at the electrodes until the dynamo a, which is driven from the engine, attains its proper speed, when said dynamo will generate not only sufficient current to provide for the formation of the igniting spark or sparks, but also sufficient to charge the battery 0. To drive the armature-shaft, (indicated by a dotted line in Fig. 2 and designated by the letter 00,) the same may be belted to the crank-shaft y of the engine, a part of said shaft,together with the belt, being indicated in dotted lines. The shunt-winding of the dynamo serves to excite the field thereof and maintain magnetic saturation, while the series Winding is so adjusted that when the main circuit is closed at the make-andbreak mechanism the volume of current generated by the dynamo is increased to double the voltage required to form the igniting spark or sparks. In the construction of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 the quantity of current generated by the dynamo is automatically regulated by the operation of the make-andbreak mechanism. As will be understood. there is more or less resistance at the point of contact between the members of each makeand-break device 0, and when the members of only one set are in contact the quantity of current which can pass through the circuit and through the series winding of the dynamo to excite the field thereof is proportionately less than when the members of two or more of the make-and-break devices synchronously make contact, and thereby provide additional paths for the passage of the current, thus providing for a greater excitation of the dynamo-field and greater generation of current, the larger quantity in the latter case being necessary, as two or more igniting-sparks are synchronously formed. As will be obvious,in the practical operation of my apparatus the potentials of the dynamo and battery are equal only for an infinitesimal period of time, and as a consequence the supply of current to the make-and-break devices is practically constant.

The construction and operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that the parts may be altered or rearranged to some extent without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. In a sparking mechanism for explosiveengines and in combination, a single main circuit, a battery and dynamo located in said circuit connected up in reverse order, and make-and-break mechanism also located in said circuit, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a plurality of engine-cylinders, each having make-and-break mechanism associated with the same,of sparking mechanism comprising a single circuit includinga plurality of branches, one of said make-and-break devices being located in each branch, and a dynamo and battery connected in reverse order in said circuit, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a plurality of engine-cylinders, each having make-and-break mechanism associated with the same,of sparking mechanism comprising a single circuit having a plurality of branches, one of said make-and-break devices being located in each branch, and a compound-wound dynamo in said circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two Witnesses, at Rich mond,in the county of Henrico, in the State of Virginia, this 25th day of June, 1902.

GEORGE WILLIAM EUKER.

Witnesses:

MARK R. LLOYD, O. C. OoUsINs. 

